Sienna's eyes locked onto his coldly. Nathan met her gaze with equal intensity.
Then, as their weapons pressed against each other, Nathan did something unexpected.
"Your brother is alive."
The impact was immediate. Sienna's defiance shattered like fragile glass. Her eyes widened in shock, and her breath hitched audibly. For a moment, her entire body froze, not by magic but by sheer disbelief. Her lips parted, trembling as though trying to form words, yet her voice faltered.
"What…?" she managed to whisper, the single word laced with both hope and agony.
Nathan offered no further explanation. Before she could say anything more, he raised his hand, and a glacial frost enveloped her. Sienna's body became encased in ice, her expression of disbelief and vulnerability preserved within the crystalline prison.
